


Coffee?

by StarLunne16



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentioned Akaashi Keiji, Mentioned Bokuto Koutarou, Mentioned Hinata Shouyou, POV Kozume Kenma, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:13:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28245234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarLunne16/pseuds/StarLunne16
Summary: "A coffee?"Kuroo's question made the scene disappear, and then Kenma smiled."Sure"
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23
Collections: Kuroken Christmas Exchange 2020





	Coffee?

Kenma was a man of routines. 

He always woke up at the same hour —7.30 a.m—, he chose the same path for going to work and took his matutine coffee at the same cafe, next to his office. The waiters already know what he is going to order —because he always orders the same— and even he had befriended one of them, a little friendly and too loudy redhead called Shoyo. He was kind and easy to talk with, mostly because it is Shoyo who talks and Kenma only listens the most part of the time. The talks with Shoyo are also part of his daily routine. 

Maybe that was the reason why, when he didn’t see Shoyo but a tall guy with raven hair and a smile more typical of a cat than a person, he felt that his day was going to be bad. 

“Good morning” he said, and Kenma could read on his green apron “Kuroo”.

“Hello” Kenma shortly answered, and then he remembered that Kuroo couldn’t know what he wanted. “A milk coffee with two of sugar, please”.

Kuroo only nodded and went behind the counter to prepare his order. Kenma looked quickly at the local, but he didn’t see any redhead near. What had happened with Shoyo? He didn’t have his number and maybe —only maybe— he was starting to regret that.

“If you’re looking for Hinata” Kuroo talked, putting his cup in front of him. “He changed shifts with me. University duties, if I’m not wrong”

Kenma made a grimace that could be considered an act of gratitude, but he knew many people wouldn’t take it like that. However, Kuroo only smiled, maybe for being polite with the client, and came back to the counter, cleaning it for the next customer. Kenma saw his coffee with disbelief. Was it going to be in the way he liked it? He doubted seriously, but after taking the first sip, he surprised himself with the fact that it was really okay. 

It had a nostalgic taste, however. 

Looking sideways, he could see how Kuroo’s smile was growing with every sip he tooked. 

When the cup was empty, he left the money over the table and, trying to ignore Kuroo’s smug smile, he went out of the coffee shop with the question still in his mind. 

How had he known?

Next day, he went to the café with the idea of taking a portion of an apple cake. He hoped to see Hinata, but again Kuroo was there, attending a girl with a flirting smile. Kenma usually could identify personalities with relative ease, but Kuroo doesn’t fit in any place. Maybe you can say he was the flirty type that goes out with any pretty girl but he doesn’t seem particularly interested in her. Even if he smiles, his eyes are darting around everywhere 

She goes out with a smile, probably thinking about a movie with the boy, and he finally paid him attention.

“What do you want today?” he asked. “Maybe a piece of apple pie?”

Kenma couldn’t believe his ears. How in the hell he knew that?

“Okay, tell me. How?”

“How?” he pretended to be confused, but Kenma knew better. “How what?”

“How the fuck did you know what I was about to say?”

“You’re predictable, I guess?” Kuroo laughed nervously. 

Kenma then swore he had heard that line before. He couldn't remember when or who, but someone did.

“Excuse you? Do you always treat your customers like that?”

“Wow, wow, calm down” Kuroo put his hands between them in a sign of peace. “I didn’t want to bother you. I talked with Hinata about you and I simply guessed”.

“Why did you…?” Kenma was about to ask, but then he decided it was better not to. "Anyways, yes. I want a piece of apple pie."

"Your orders are wishes to me."

Kenma really had thought that Kuroo and he couldn't be friends. He noticed Kuroo trying to, but Kenma knew better. He knew that Kuroo was more than he wanted to show, and he felt like sometimes he could read his mind. It was a bizarre feeling, one that Kenma wasn't sure if he liked. Anyways, he had his routine, and he didn't want to change it because of an emotion that he can't even explain. 

This way, the time passed by. And Kenma knew, even if he is not sure about what happened in five months and half, that he was getting used to Kuroo. With each coffee, Kuroo always gave him a note. Sometimes it was a joke, others it was a line of poetry, and Kenma couldn't say he was disgusted. Kuroo also told him irrelevant details about the elaboration of coffee and his origin, or about authors and books that are inside the coffee shop. He seemed to have read every book available there, and although Kenma never asked him for that information, Kuroo was so happy while sharing his knowledge that reminds him of Shoyo's little sister and he is unable to stop him talking. 

His stories and rantings about literature was a relaxing time before going into numbers and paperwork in his office, maybe in the same way videogames did. 

Maybe this was the reason why he decided to pass again after work when he never did that before. Because it had been a tough day, and he was feeling the necessity of a cup of coffee and Kuroo talking about books and coffee effects while reading. 

Maybe he only wanted to be with him. 

However, he found the coffee shop empty and Kuroo was nowhere to be found. Even if he called several times, he didn't appear and it seemed he was the last in his turn, because any other waiter was there. 

"Kuroo? Are you there?" 

He wasn't supposed to go beyond the door where a cartel said "Only personal". Kenma was never a person who liked breaking rules, but he heard laughs and, this time, something inside him screamed to do it. 

Maybe he was better without doing it. 

"What…? What are you doing?"

Kuroo fell from… the ceiling? Kenma wasn't sure if he had to believe his own eyes. Another boy, white and black haired with eyes similar to an owl was also floating in the nothingness. 

"Who's this kid?" The owl eyed one asked. 

Kid? Is he referring to him? 

"For your information, I'm 24."

He seemed surprised, pissing off Kenma, who wasn't known for his patience. 

"Kenma! What are you…? I thought you only come in the mornings… Anyways, Bokuto and I..."

The man called Bokuto stood up, making himself falling…? He wasn't sure about what in the hell he had seen. 

"I think there's no choice, Kuroo. Oh God, Akaashi is going to be mad when he finds out."

Kuroo looked at Bokuto, understanding whatever the other man said, and then sighed. 

"Okay, Kenma, don't freak out, okay?" He cut the distance with Kenma, who stepped back unconsciously. "Listen, I'm not going to hurt you. Relax. I'm Kuroo, right?"

Kenma nodded. 

"Well. Hear me, do you see this book?" He collected one from the table that was between Kenma and both of them. "You remember it, don't you?"

Yes, he remembered. That one is Kuroo's favourite, one where the main character has telepathy and he had to deal with it. 

"Yes, but what…?"

"Now, now. Well, think about something, anything you want. The rarest, the better"

Kenma thought about the bus stop he always took to go to the central town from his house. 

"Okay, so you are thinking about a bus stop, right?"

Kenma was usually good to hide emotions, but he was sure that his face was so expressive. 

"How did you know?"

That question was asked a million times before, Kenma realized. 

"You see, I'm not a simple person. I'm the boy in this book"

Okay. Kenma laughed, incredulous. 

"Yeah. And I'm England's Queen"

"You saw him, didn't you?" He pointed out his partner. "Bo is the main character of this book" He took another one, and Kenma recognized it. 

The plot was about an owl boy who manipulated gravity in compensation for being unable to fly. 

"So, you're telling me that both of you are fictional characters who emerged magically from your books."

"Exactly! You understood it quickly, Akaashi is going to be happy!"

"Bo, that… Whatever, Kenma, you can't tell anyone. If this is known for two humans more, we will disappear."

Even if he could have chosen many decisions at that time, his first instinct was running away. 

"Kenma, wait!"

It was stupid running when he saw few seconds ago that one of them can fly? Yes. But he wasn't thinking about that. 

He only could think about Kuroo, and the lies and excuses he told him before. It hurt. 

"Kenma!"

He felt his wrist being caught by another hand when he was about to go out from the coffee shop. When he looked back, he saw it was Kuroo's. 

He felt that this had happened before. In another context, one which he couldn't remember. 

"I… I didn't want to scare you. I only… You know, I couldn't tell you this before because… It was more than my secret"

"I was right when I said you seemed like you can read my mind, right? How many times did you do that without my permission?"

Kenma couldn't believe he was saying that, he was trusting that magical story. But he saw with his own eyes that magic. He couldn't deny it. 

"I… I'm sorry. I know it wasn't right to do that but… I only don't want to lose what we have, you know? I… I don't want to lose you aga… Kenma, please"

Kenma didn't know how to react. Kuroo left his hand free, and he could go out and pretend that he didn't see anything. He could ignore it and won't ever come back there. But certainly he didn't want that. That place was a refuge for him. A place where he felt accepted, where he is beloved, where he can truly enjoy. 

"I promise that I won't do it anymore if you don't want to. I swear you don't see me if you don't want to but… I only want to see you. Please."

His eyes looked like he was desperate, his voice was trembling… How could he say no to that? 

"I… I think that if you don't do that… I'm okay. I mean, I'm still incredulous and I don't believe your stories but… I don't want to lose anything of this"

He wanted to be with Shoyo, with Akaashi, even with Tora, but what he wanted more was to be with Kuroo. With that nerd boy who always is with that smug smile and exhaling confidence. With his talks, his coffees and his black eyes. 

"I promise you won't regret it"

And Kenma smiled. Because Kuroo had never broken any promise he made to him. He promised to give him the best coffee in the world, and he did. He promised to enchant him with his tales, and he did. He promised to be the best friend he would ever meet and he's now unchangeable. 

"I hope so. If you ever lie to me again, I'm not going to accept your apologies"

Kuroo laughed and then he hugged him so hard that made Kenma's face red like an apple. 

"Thank you. Thank you so much. I promise I'm real, I'll be here, and you won't disappear. Not again."

What did he mean? Kenma didn't understand that last phrase, but his arms felt like home, his smell was so familiar and nostalgic that maybe made him almost cry. 

Like a thunder, a scene passed by his mind. Kuroo covered in red while crying and screaming his name. The same eyes, the same smell, the same arms but not the same smile. 

"A coffee?"

Kuroo's question made the scene disappear, and then Kenma smiled. 

"Sure"

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like it! This is my first Kuroken given to @CloudyShemi for Kuroken Exchange 2020. Thanks for reading!


End file.
